The girl genius has an IQ level higher than Einstein and Hawking. But she chose a dubious future profession

MOSCOW, January 12 - RIA Novosti, Alfiya Enikeeva. The American William James Sidis, who died in 1944, had a record IQ: from 250 to 300. However, the expert in 40 languages ​​and the youngest student at Harvard (entered there at the age of 11) did not make any contribution to science. He worked all his life as a humble office worker. RIA Novosti looks into what IQ can tell about a person’s mental abilities and what the results of this test are for recognized geniuses.

Determine intelligence

The first IQ test was invented in 1912 by the German psychologist William Stern: a set of well-known problems and puzzles was supposed to determine the developmental potential of children. However, the tests that followed to measure mental abilities, including the questionnaire of the British psychologist Hans Eysenck, who made the very idea of ​​​​assessing intelligence popular, were intended rather for adults.

Today, most IQ tests measure a person's ability to analyze visual-spatial information, short-term memory and processing speed. In this case, the age of the subject must be taken into account.

The questionnaires are compiled in such a way that the average value is equal to one hundred points. A score below 70 is considered to indicate mental retardation, and people who score above 115 are especially intelligent. One can speak of outstanding abilities and even genius with an IQ above 140 points.

However, according to several studies, the results of such tests do not always reflect a person’s real intelligence. First, you can train yourself to solve the type of problems used in questionnaires. Secondly, assessments of the same person may depend on his physical and psychological state.

Slow thinking genius

In addition, all IQ tests are strictly timed. As a rule, questions must be answered in 30-60 minutes. However, it is known that Nobel laureate Albert Einstein, who invented the theory of relativity, thought rather slowly and in exams did not always manage to complete all the tasks in the allotted time.

Nevertheless, the IQ of an outstanding physicist is estimated at approximately 160 points. During his life he wrote more than three hundred scientific works, developed several fundamental physical theories- in addition to the theory of relativity, quantum theory heat capacity, theory of stimulated emission, Bose-Einstein quantum statistics. According to American sociologists, the scientist is one of the five most famous people of the 20th century.

Victory of the intellect over the body

Another outstanding physicist and popularizer of science, Stephen Hawking, had the same IQ as Einstein. He studied cosmology and quantum gravity, proved that the Universe obeys the general theory of relativity, and derived the laws of black hole mechanics. His books sold in huge quantities - for example, " Short story Time", which tells about the emergence of the Universe, the nature of space and time and black holes, was released in ten million copies.

The scientist worked hard all his life, despite a terrible diagnosis - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which turned him into a disabled person.

The smartest expelled student

Microsoft founder Bill Gates, considered one of the richest people on the planet, has an IQ of 170. The Windows operating system, which he created together with his school friend Paul Allen, is now installed on almost every computer. It was thanks to her that the computer became an item of mass use.

Moreover, Gates did not even graduate from university. In his second year, he was expelled from Harvard for poor academic performance, since he devoted all his free time to programming. But in 2007, the university administration awarded him a diploma of higher education and even awarded him a doctorate.

© AP Photo/Nati Harnik

© AP Photo/Nati Harnik

The scientist who turned down a million dollars

In 2010, Russian mathematician Grigory Perelman became the most talked about scientist on the planet. He solved one of the problems of the millennium - the Poincaré conjecture, for which the Clay Mathematical Institute awarded him a prize of one million dollars, which the scientist refused.

In addition to the only solved problem of the millennium so far, Perelman also proved the theory of the soul in differential geometry, the geometrization hypothesis and several key statements in the Alexander geometry of spaces of curvature bounded below.

IQ level unknown.

© Photo: George M. Bergman, Berkeley

Incredible facts

We often talk about celebrities with high IQs. We admire their intelligence, education and erudition.

Beautiful, famous and... smart.

They evoke sympathy not only thanks to its beauty , but also high intelligence.

What about those stars who are not brilliant and whose IQ level is not so high?

Celebrities with low IQ

Here are 11 stars with unacceptably low IQs:

1. Paris Hilton

The antics and phrases of this socialite have repeatedly confirmed her low IQ level.

2. Kourtney Kardashian

The representative of the star surname Kardashian was recently recognized as one of the stupidest celebrities.

3. Kim Kardashian

It seems like the rare member of the Kardashian family is highly intelligent. Kim Kardashian is no exception.

4. Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj has also been classified as a celebrity with a low IQ.

5. Nicole Scherzinger

Another star, more famous for her appearance, and not at all for her intellect, is Nicole Scherzinger.

Unfortunately, the former Pussycat Doll singer is rumored to be not very intelligent.

Stupid Celebrities

6. Jessica Simpson

In one of her interviews, Jessica's mother once stated that her daughter's IQ level reaches 160.

However, few believed this statement, given how funny Jessica puts words into phrases and how ineptly she conducts dialogues with journalists.

7. Britney Spears

The pop princess herself stated that her IQ level is 104. This is also hard to believe, because her relatives and friends have repeatedly said that Britney does not shine with intelligence.

According to rumors, Miley's IQ level can range from 100 to 130, with the number 119 most often mentioned.

However, this is hardly possible, given how stupid and ridiculous the star behaves in life, as well as in conversations with journalists.

9. Mariah Carey

How could Mariah Carey end up on the list of famous people with low IQ?

But this is most likely true. And although it is known from some sources that the sexy singer has an IQ of as much as 126, it seems that this is not true.

The numerous mistakes that the star makes in her speech indicate that she is not at all as smart as she would like.

10. Courtney Love

Once Courtney let slip that her daughter’s IQ level was much higher than hers. True, the star did not dare to voice her IQ level.

Suri from England is literally a genius. This baby's intelligence level is one of the highest in the world and even greater than that of Stephen Hawking. But the teenager does not dream of a career as a scientist and does not want to make great discoveries. She is a real girl who doesn't want to decide anything.

Thirteen-year-old schoolgirl from India Suryanshi Suri Ranjan is a real bright mind. At two years old, this girl began to speak fluently, at three she could beat anyone at chess, and at four she could easily read even complex literature, writes The Sun.

The girl was born in Mumbai and raised in West Bengal. Already there she felt that learning was easy for her when she completed a difficult math work in ten minutes and almost fell asleep from boredom. Suri later moved with her family to Kingston, England, where she took exams at 13 schools.

Her parents, Abhijay and Niti Ranjan, say that the girl's intelligence was noticeable from childhood. Suri was such a smart child that at first it even caused some tension in the family.

Initially, I was a little apprehensive. I wanted her to have a normal childhood, we were worried that she would be left alone. It's like living with an adult: she never wanted to play with dolls, all her toys were educational.

Over time, the girl continued to develop her abilities and in early spring she was able to qualify for Mensa, passing two super-difficult tests. Mensa is a community of people who have scored better on IQ tests than 98 percent of the rest of the world's population. It was created in 1948 to support smart people, research into intelligence and its nature.

Suri managed to show amazing results: she scored the maximum score. Thus, she entered the one percent of people with the highest IQ scores in the world. Suri scored 162 points. It is believed that the brilliant physicists Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking had an IQ two points lower, and the world average is 100.

The girl's father, a banker with experience in quantum mechanics, also took Mensa tests, but scored lower than his gifted child - his coefficient is 142.

The girl is proud to be part of the club, but enjoys solving complex math problems as much as she enjoys singing and hanging out with her friends. The teenager was already thinking about her future career, and the prospect of becoming a scientist does not appeal to her yet. Ranjan, like a real girl, wants to become a pop star.

Adele inspires me. There is so much emotion in her music. Her songs are amazing. I would like to write songs like her someday.

Despite her outstanding abilities, the baby does not feel like a supergirl. Suri plans to study biomedical engineering at Princeton University, but doesn't feel much difference between herself and her peers.

I just think a little differently than my peers and look at things differently. I think it's good. It's cool when you can explain everything to your friends. I don't feel any difference. We are all children, we have fun.

The girl's father predicts a great future for the girl, but is sympathetic to her personal needs.

We are very proud of her. We would like her to realize her full potential. She is so versatile. We never expected her to dedicate herself entirely to academics, and fortunately, this is not the case. Being smart is one thing, but there are other things that matter more.

Now Suri is undoubtedly a very young member of Mensa, but there are those who have given her a head start. For example, the youngest member of the community is only four years old, and one of the smart guys joined the intellectual group at the age of two years and four months.

And millionaire Simon Cowell believes that modern education- meaningless. The Western showbiz star even suggested that his son graduate from school at the age of 10, but on social networks he.

As practice shows, the students themselves willingly say goodbye to school, and sometimes do so. The latest bells, which took place in different cities of Russia, are excellent proof that schoolchildren are happy to get rid of lessons.

People with a high level of intelligence have a special society - Mensa. Individuals with an IQ level higher than 98% of people are accepted there.

Celebrities with high IQ levels

Marilyn Vos Savant, a writer and journalist from the United States, has the highest IQ level.

Low IQ is not a barrier to fame

People love to evaluate each other. It is easy to compare physical indicators and financial situation, but assessing mental abilities is not at all easy. However, this task has always been faced in society: both when hiring a person (especially in government and research organizations), and when enrolling students in educational establishments. Qualitative characteristics alone are not enough; accurate numbers are needed for an objective assessment. How and with what to measure the mind?

Successful experiments by Alfred Binet on testing French schoolchildren

At the beginning of the last century, the French psychologist A. Binet, on behalf of the government, developed tests for Parisian schoolchildren. The goal was to assess children's learning abilities. To evaluate test results, Binet introduced a coefficient that showed how much higher or lower a student is than his physical age. If a ten-year-old child solved the problems of an eleven-year-old, then his coefficient was 110 units. When calculating, mental age (in this case 11 years) was divided by physical age- 10 years - and multiplied by 100.

The tasks were designed so that the majority of children completed all the tests of their age group, that is, the average coefficient for peers was 100. If a student could not cope with these tasks, but only mastered more primitive tasks, then his ability coefficient was less than 100. In this case, he had to receive special treatment at school.

Introduction and development of tests for adults

The results of the French psychologist turned out to be very impressive and were picked up by psychologists in other countries. His approach to the numerical assessment of intellectual abilities was adopted as a basis and extended to all age groups. For adults, a different calculation method was invented, but the idea remained the same.

The first intelligence scale for adults was created in 1939 by D. Wexler. IQ (intelligence quotient) shows how much better or worse a particular person is at solving intellectual problems relative to the average level. The average level is taken to be 100. It is believed that IQ gives an assessment of a person’s intelligence. If it is 90-110, then the person has average abilities. If IQ is in the range of 120-130, then the person’s abilities are above average. If the IQ is more than 140, then the person is a genius. Those people who show results less than 70 in tests are considered mentally retarded.

The term IQ itself was coined by the German psychologist Wilhelm Stern back in 1912. What is the IQ level of famous people? Politicians, state rulers, scientists? For example, what is Einstein's IQ? We will talk about this further.

Eysenck tests are the most famous, but not the most accurate

Before we find out what Einstein’s IQ was, let’s talk about the most popular test that can be used to determine its level. One of the first to intensively undertake the development of IQ tests for adults was the British psychologist of German origin Hans Jürgen Eysenck (1916-1997). He conducted research, wrote articles and books, and gave lectures. Not all scientists agreed with his views, but Eysenck's tests at that time were the most thoughtful and easily applicable, and therefore were widely used in various studies.

Eysenck tests were intended for people with average and higher education aged from 18 to 50 years. The maximum IQ according to Eysenck tests is 180 points.

Each test consists of text, numerical and graphic problems, the solution of which is found using logic. The complexity of the tasks is increasing. The test consists of 40 questions, which take 30 minutes to solve. The tasks are designed in such a way that the test taker's verbal, mathematical and visual-spatial abilities are fully demonstrated. It is not necessary to solve all tasks.

Eysenck's tests are still widely used today, although there are many tests created by other scientists (D. Wexler, J. Raven, R. Amthauer, R. B. Cattell.) that provide a more accurate assessment of the level of intelligence. But they are all more labor-intensive. There is currently no single standard for IQ tests. What is Einstein's IQ according to the Eysenck test? You will soon find out about this.

Relationship between IQ and profession

Psychologists conducted mass testing of people in different social groups and got quite the expected results. The average IQ among unskilled workers is 87. Rural workers and semi-skilled workers have an IQ of 92. Office workers, salespeople, skilled workers and foremen have an IQ in the region of 101 points. Managers and administrators score 104 points. People with higher education have an IQ of 114 points, and candidates of science have an IQ of 125.

We must understand that these are the average values ​​of the level of intelligence of a group of subjects. They do not claim that among the farmers there will not be a person with an IQ of 110 points, and among the graduates of the institute there will not be people with a coefficient of 90.

What was the indicator of the scientist Einstein Albert? His IQ should be, according to the above information, at least 125. Well, now you will find out the answer to the main question.

IQ level of Einstein and other historical figures

Creator Albert Einstein is perhaps the most famous scientist of our time. Most people who know about him consider him a genius. So how much IQ does Einstein have?

At the time of his death, research into calculating IQ was still gaining momentum, and Einstein did not pass Eysenck's tests. But scientists really wanted to answer this question, and they came up with indirect methods for assessing intelligence. The Swenson-Crane method, for example, analyzes behavior and verbal statements. Einstein's IQ test showed stunning results. According to all calculations, it turned out that the IQ of the great physicist was no less than 160, or even 200. The spread can be explained different ways assessments and a different set of initial data. Each researcher defends his method and his results. There is no consensus on this issue.

IQ levels of other historical figures

The intelligence of other historical figures was assessed in the same indirect way. The philosopher Benedict Spinoza had an IQ of 175, Blaise Pascal - 171, Isaac Newton - 190, Leonardo da Vinci - 180, Charles Darwin - 165. You can also find data from other scientific and political figures of the past. The question is what to do next with this information... Einstein himself was very skeptical about the possibility of quantifying a person’s mental abilities.

People with the highest IQ scores

There is a Mensa International club in the world that accepts people with high IQs. Each person can pass the test and, if they have a high IQ score, be accepted into this club. To date, the club has more than 100 thousand members from all countries of the world. Among them there are scientists, artists, politicians, students, and drivers.

The highest rates are:

• Terence Tao (mathematician, Australia, IQ 230).
• Marilyn Vos Savant (journalist, USA, IQ 228).
• Christopher Hirata (astrophysicist, USA, IQ 225).
• Kim Ung-Yong (mathematician, South Korea, IQ 210).

Most famous people in the world also have a high IQ. For example, the founders of Microsoft Corporation, Paul Allen and Bill Gates, have IQs of 170 and 160, respectively. A. Schwarzenegger has an IQ of 135, the ex-president has an IQ of 137. Brad Pitt has an IQ of 119, Angelina Jolie has an IQ of 118.

Interestingly, people with average intelligence are also popular. Here are the low IQ people that everyone knows and loves:

• Bruce Willis is an American actor, IQ = 101.
• Britney Spears is an American pop singer, IQ = 98.
• Muhammad Ali - American boxer, IQ = 78.
• Sylvester Stallone is an American actor, screenwriter and director, IQ = 54.

What dependencies have been revealed by psychological studies of intelligence in different population groups?

• Intelligence actively develops in childhood and adolescence and reaches its peak at approximately 26 years of age. Subsequently, it remains at the same level or falls. But with the right lifestyle and regular training, your IQ increases.
• IN to a greater extent IQ is determined by genetic characteristics (about 80%), but living conditions, especially in childhood, also affect its value.
• There is a connection between the IQ value of a country’s residents and its economic condition, the development of democratic institutions and religiosity.
• Crimes are more likely to be committed by people with an IQ of 70-90, and this indicator does not depend on race.
• Poor nutrition in childhood reduces IQ. Iodine deficiency and marijuana use also lower IQ. The decrease can reach 10-12 points.
• Breastfeeding a child helps to increase his level of intelligence.
• People with a high IQ have a longer life expectancy and are less likely to get sick.
• As a rule, beautiful people have higher IQs.

Is it worth taking the test yourself?

Despite more than a century of history of studying intelligence, scientists have not come to a consensus on what intelligence is and how to correctly measure it. WITH general definition intelligence, as the ability to act intelligently and successfully cope with all life circumstances, according to most psychologists, but then discrepancies begin. Therefore, all IQ estimates should be considered approximate, which only partially characterize a person. You now know what the IQ of Einstein and other famous personalities was. Everyone should still take the test. What if they accept you into the Mensa International club?